


come home in a melody of tears

by all_of_the_trash



Category: Insidious (Movies)
Genre: Based on a Fall Out Boy Song, Elise is such a mom in this fic, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Songfic, i mean when isn't she, i will hunt you down if you do that, please do not interpret the main story as romantic, so will Leigh and Lin probably, very minor specs/tucker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-09
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2019-04-07 07:40:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14076093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/all_of_the_trash/pseuds/all_of_the_trash
Summary: Specs calls out to Elise in the Further one night. He didn't expect her to answer.Songfic of "Jet Pack Blues" by Fall Out Boy





	come home in a melody of tears

**Author's Note:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtgiP95ikIE
> 
> I know the first instinct with this song is to go romantic, but it reminds me of Specs grieving. And I'm not mean enough to make anything happen to Tucker that he'd have to grieve. Also there's a level of elegance to the woman described in the song, and the image of Elise standing at the edge of the Further wearing a long black coat and singing in the rain... well that was just too powerful to resist.
> 
> Yes, you can also read this independently from the song but I don't know how well that will turn out.

Specs stared at the ceiling, trying to focus his thoughts on the rhythm of Tucker's snores and the soft crackling of the Judy Garland vinyl on the record player in the corner of the bedroom.

Life after Elise had become a strange kind of empty, leaving Specs feeling weightless in an entirely unpleasant way. Life with Elise had been like walking in the mountains, feet on solid ground with the world splayed out below, majestic and still. Now life was like being strapped to a jetpack, uncertain and nauseating while the ground was a horrifying distance away. Time didn't even feel real anymore. Even the baking heat and pleasant lightheadedness of June may as well have been replaced with the foreboding chill and sinking dread of September.

Specs wasn't sure when all this sci-fi horror crap stopped being an appealing lifestyle. Probably when his favorite person to share it with was murdered the second his back was turned.

What had she done? Not only to earn this fate, but what had she done as she received it? Did she try to scream out against the hands crushing her throat? Was she hoping, wishing, mentally calling out for deliverance? Did she think of him and Tucker as she died, thirty feet away and blissfully oblivious?

He became aware that the record player had stopped, leaving him alone in the dark with Tucker's snores. Peace was unattainable this night, apparently. It was too quiet. Tucker's snoring, usually a sweet lull, had caused a violent ringing in his ears. After getting up to fetch some headphones, Specs lay back down and pressed a gentle kiss between Tucker's shoulder blades before laying on his back and succumbing to the dark.

* * *

 

The city rain pounded like drums, as if the raindrops were fingertips tapping barely against a djembe. Specs found his vision narrowing on a cloaked figure in the distance. They were smaller than him, covered from the neck to nearly the ankles in a black trenchcoat, and as he flicked the lights on his glasses to examine them more closely he was struck with two realizations. They were untouched by the rain. It was completely dry, their hair, their coat, their scarf- that scarf was familiar, if he didn't know any better he could almost swear it belonged to-

"Steven!"

Specs blinked away the beginnings of tears as that face and voice became clear. "Elise?"

The tiny woman opened her arms. Specs did believe in an infinite number of universes, and he was certain that in none of them would he refuse the gesture. Elise's frail body tucked into his chest as he curled his arms around her and rested his chin on her head (something he had been quite proud to do the first few times; it wasn't often Specs had that kind of height advantage on anyone), as if he was the one protecting her and not the other way around.

The rain continued, but Specs realized that while he could see and hear it, it was not touching him or Elise. No, he recognized the warm wetness soaking Elise's platinum hair and the front of his good white shirt was something else entirely.

"I've missed you," he finally managed to whisper.

She rubbed his back before taking a step back, holding loosely onto his waist while looking him in the eyes. Specs wasn't exactly known for winning staring contests, but he managed to hold her gaze for a bit.

"I'm sorry Steven. I had no intention of leaving you this soon."

"Why are you sorry? It's not your fault."

"No," she smiled sadly, "but you're hurt and I don't have a way to fix it. Call it a mother's instinct, to apologize for that."

He sniffled. "You're the closest to a mother I've ever had."

"Then I'm glad you had me. You are like a son to me, Steven. Having you and Tucker around was like coming home for the first time in years."

Specs shook as he grasped her shoulders a little more firmly than he'd meant to. She didn't seem to mind. "Then come home."

"I am home. Are you?"

He noticed his mouth open and close a few times without making any sound before he hung his head. "How would I know, Elise? I've never had a home."

"Home isn't something you can own, Steven. It's just being with people you love, who love you too."

Specs took a step back, folding his arms and bowing his head. "Sometimes I'm not sure. I don't even know if I actually love you, or if I was just sick of not having a family. Isn't that pathetic?"

"Oh, sweetheart," Elise muttered sweetly, touching his arm, "you wouldn't be here if you didn't really love me. You called out to me and I couldn't help but answer. But this is a dangerous place for the living; you really need to get back home soon."

"Don't leave me!" He found himself reaching out before he could even process it. "Please. Don't make me go back yet. Can you just- stay with me? For a little bit?"

With a knowing smile, Elise placed her hand over his. "You've become so expressive, Steven. Remember how, when you and Tucker first moved in, you were so shy about being touch starved that you would make up excuses about having to drink from the same cup of tea as me?"

Specs shrugged, blushing a little. "I didn't even like tea."

"I could tell. But you were too shy to say that you needed someone to touch your hands. Obviously that shyness didn't last too long, am I hearing right that you and Tucker are together?"

"Okay, that's my sign to head home," he said a little too quickly, blushing furiously now.

She pulled him into a tight hug without warning. "Don't come back here. It's not safe for the living. From now on I'll come to you, okay?"

"But how will I see you?"

"You might not. But you'll know I'm there."

"I don't want to go."

"I know, Steven. I know. But you're going to have to-"

* * *

 

Specs was suddenly aware of several things. It was dark, he was flat on his back in bed, and Tucker had rolled onto his chest, making breathing difficult. "Tucker what the hell?" he managed to grumble with what little air was in his lungs.

Tucker had evidently startled awake. "I'd ask you the same. Man, I could swear someone pushed me hard and then suddenly I woke up on top of you."

He felt a strange tightening in his chest that had nothing to do with his possibly collapsed ribcage. "Go to sleep, Tucker."

Although he was never one to follow orders, Tucker could not resist the call of sleep. Within minutes he was perched on his side again and sleeping. Specs called out into the darkness. "Was it really necessary to try to kill me in order to wake me up?"

And if he very clearly heard Elise's laugh in response, well, he could live with that.


End file.
